Beaches of Kyoto
by KiahWMConnie
Summary: What if, not only Saitoh, but Aoshi also faked his own death at Shishio's fort? How will this affect Misao and what will become of him? AM
1. Memories

**A/N:** My first attempt at an angst fic. This is slightly A/U. Based off a song by Garth Brooks.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own RK or Garth Brooks' songs.

Beaches of Kyoto  
KiahWMConnie  
Prologue

**Aoshi's POV**

I can not forget what I've done. I can not come to forgive myself. That is why I faked my own death. When the explosion hit the bridge…that was my chance. I eluded the eyes of Sagara and the Wolf and made it appear that I died in the fire. I can't go back to the Aoiya. I couldn't do that to them, to Misao. That was about four months ago.

Now I am walking down this empty road. I must be near Tokyo. As I walk and remember these things, I can't help but think of Misao.

Several years ago, I left the Aoiya. I later learned that in those years, because I didn't come back, Misao had scaled Japan looking for me. She stopped at nothing to find me. That is why this time, I "died" instead of left. I'm sure it would pain her to hear the news, but it would pain her more to go on searching for me.

I know that this way she can live a happy life. She can forget about me and start a new life, meet a new man, start a family, and live happily ever after. All I want is for her to be happy.

I'm sure her eyes by now have stopped crying. Her heart will be healing and her braid will begin bouncing again. She was and still is quite the blessing to the Aoiya and to the Oniwabanshuu.

I sigh. She will definitely be happy now.

* * *

**A/N: **Gomen! I know it's short, but this is really just a background of the story.

**Warning:** This will be a bittersweet story, depending on how you look at it. I cried writing it. Is that good? lol.


	2. Aoshi in Tokyo?

**A/N: **Thanks for the reviews. I've started school again now that spring break has ended. Ugh…not fun.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own RK.

Beaches of Kyoto  
KiahWMConnie  
Chapter one: It Can't be True

"Whew," Kaoru exhaled as she set down the tofu bucket. Poor Kenshin had a cold that day and Kaoru had to get the tofu, "I guess with Kenshin being around so long, it's been a long time since I've gotten the tofu myself. It's a bit heavier than it used to be."

Kaoru had set down the bucket on the road to rest for a minute. She had a sudden thought.

'I'm near that beautiful lake I love so much! I should drop by there to rest for a minute. The guys won't be expecting me back for a while.'

Satisfied with her decision, Kaoru went near the edge of the lake and calmly sat down. She loved to look at the lake, for it was so beautiful. She looked around the lake, and then she saw something move in the distance. It was over in the trees around where the path was.

'Someone must be around there.'

She almost turned her head away, but there was something familiar about it, a him as she now realized. Even from about 100 yards away she could tell something about him; the way he walked and looked from a distance. She picked up the tofu and began to walk in the direction of the man.

She decided to keep hidden, for it may have been just a suspicion. She stayed behind a large tree so she could watch him go by without being seen.

He began to come closer, seemingly oblivious to the pair of azure eyes watching him intently. He was about 100 yards away' it slowly turned into 75, then about 50. Something hit Kaoru in her mind.

Her eyes went wide as she gasped.

"A-a-Aoshi?" she barely whispered.

She turned her back to the road. She clutched her chest with her free hand; her heart was racing. Aoshi? No, it couldn't be. He was dead!

Kaoru suddenly ran; she knew another way home.

'There's no _way_ it could be Aoshi! He died back in Kyoto! How could he be alive?'

Kaoru was frantic and scared. Was it a ghost? Was it just her imagination or was it just someone who looked like him? No, it was him alright. As much as she didn't want to believe it, she just knew it was him.

She tossed and turned in her bed. Thoughts and questions filled her mind. When she got home, Yahiko and Sano seemed concerned about her; Kenshin was already in bed because of his sickness.She just replied with thestandard 'I'm fine.'

As sheliedawake, she asked herself, "What's going on here?"

* * *

**A/N:** I did **not** plan on this chapter being so short. Sorry it's kind of a cliff hanger. Like I said before, school's started again.

**darkangelofice: **A/U means alternate universe

Again, sorry it's so short. Please review!


	3. Startling Revelations

**A/N:** Thanks for all the support! I love all of the reviews. I promise you, after this, the chapters will begin to get longer.

**Disclaimer:** If I owned RK, there would have been a LOT more romance.

Beaches of Kyoto  
KiahWMConnie  
Chapter One: Startling Revelations

Kaoru slowly opened her eyes. She did not want to get up; the night before had been absolutely horrible. What little sleep she did get, it was filled with nightmares of Misao.Maybe Kaoru was just going crazy.

'That's the only explanation I can think of,' she thought.

She heard the sound of Kenshin's voice outside, along with two laughing little girls. Kaoru smiled lightly. Sometimes, that was her only comfort.

"Kenshin," she called out when he was done playing with the girls, "I'm going shopping today."

"Oro? Wouldn't you like one of us to go with you?"

"No," she shook her head, "I'd actually like to go alone. I'd get done faster by myself."

"Miss Kaoru?" Kenshin was shocked. Why would she want to go alone?

"It's okay Kenshin, I'll be alright."

"Be careful, Miss Kaoru," he smiled at her. She gave him a smile back, but it was slightly sadder.

* * *

She walked calmly through the hustling crowd of the market. Kaoru tried to clear her mind. 

'_Aoshi. _It couldn't be. It was months ago when he died.'

Kaoru's heart ached in pain. No matter how she tried, she couldn't forget what had happened that day...She wiped away a single tear.

Then, something strange happened. As she was walking down the street, she felt a sudden vibe run eerily down her spine. Kaoru felt suddenly very cold. Out of instinct, she looked behind her.

Her heart stopped.

A small distance behind her, there was the same stone of a man, walking away. his back was turned to her, his long trench coat swishing in the wind. There was no doubt about it. Aoshi Shinomori...was alive.

At first, Kaoru had no idea what to do. Then, subconsciously, she began to follow him, carefully staying behind at a distance. She followed him for what seemed like forever. Eventually, Kaoru found herself on a narrow pathway, Aoshi not too far ahead. Suddenly, he turned and made his way into the deep forest. Again, Kaoru found herself following him. She knew it was probably dangerous, but she didn't care. Aoshi needed to learn the truth...

Kaoru, quiet as a mouse, creeped along in the shadows of trees and bushes that occasionally scratched her as she walked by. She spotted a small clearing with Aoshi standing in it, his back to her.

"You can stop hiding now," came a deep and icy voice.

Kaoru took a deep breath and did as she was told. No use in hiding now.

"What are you doing here?" he asked in a monotone voice as he turned to see her.

Kaoru glared at him with an icy stare that could've rivaled his own.

"I think I should be asking you the same question," her voice wasn't as deep, but definitely as cold.

Aoshi stared at her for a moment, then huffed, "What do you care?"

Kaoru clenched her fist, "You destroyed my best friend," she hissed.

He raised an eyebrow, "Misao."

She looked away and gnashed her teeth; tears began forming in her eyes, "It was because of you..."

He also looked away, "She's happy now. She won't have to worry about me anymore. If in her mind, I'm dead, she won't have to constantly look for me. Misao can finally reat easy at home."

Aoshi didn't think anyone would find him after the fight with Shishio. Guess he was wrong. Now, he would make it a point that his beloved Misao would never know the truth.

"She can't find out about me. I've finally found a way to make her happy-by not existing."

"You _bastard!_" She screamed, "She loved you with all her heart and soul. You were her sun and moon. When you 'died' she was crushed. You have no idea what it was like...to watch her cry and scream bloody murder, all in your name! I used to think that anyone deserved love, no matter what. But you crushed her! She gave you unconditional love, and you stabbed her in the back and told her that you never wanted to see her again. Well you got your wish!"

"What's that supposed to mean," he hissed. How did she know about that? The more she spoke, the more the anger in him flared.

Kaoru began gasping, she was almost hysterical.

"She's happy now. I can't hurt her anymore."

"You don't understand. After you told her that, she said that she didn't care if you ever came back from the fight!"

"So? We both got we wanted. She never has to see me again and because of that, she's happy."

"You asshole!" The tears rushed from her big blue eyes, "Misao is dead!"

**A/N: **AAARGH! Why do these end up so short! I'll start making longer chapters, I swear! There's a reason this is short though. I've been having some trouble with my compy and I wanted to get this in incase it crashes. Sorry about the cliffy. I'm evil aren't I? Don't worry, though. It doesn't stop here.


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